VIP guests at The Open to enjoy unique Ballylisk of Armagh cheese

Ballylisk Triple Cream cheese, made from milk from a single herd raised on rich pasture land by farming brothers Mark and Dean Wright, has been supplied to caterers, La Rousse Foods and Sodexo, at the big international golf event in Portrush next week.

Mark Wright, commenting on the latest high profile business won by Ballylisk – it also supplies Fortnum and Mason, the iconic London store – says: “We were absolutely delighted when La Rousse Foods placed an order for 60kg of our Triple Rose cheese for meals at the prestigious event on behalf of Sodexo.

“It’s a marvellous boost for a small producer like Ballylisk to be part of such a wonderful event which will showcase the very best of Northern Ireland to an amazing global audience. It will be tremendous for Northern Ireland and for Ballylisk of Armagh in particular to be part of such a wonderful event.

“We appreciate greatly the commitment of Royal Portrush, the Open caterers, Tourism Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland and, of course, Food NI in providing such an incredible opportunity to smaller producers like Ballylisk of Armagh to highlight the authentic tastes of Northern Ireland on an influential global stage,” he adds.

Ballylisk of Armagh, based on a family farm near Tandragee, has created a distinctively flavoured cheese that’s increasingly successful especially in export markets and has won acclaim in major food competitions in the UK and Ireland.

The Ballylisk range of cheeses included a recently launched beechwood smoked variety, are produced from milk sourced exclusively from the family’s pedigree Friesian herd raised on the 400-acre farm in Co Armagh.

The brothers launched Triple Rose, their first cheese, in 2017. The family has been farming in the Ballylisk area since 1820. The unique soft cheese is then processed at its state-of-the-art creamery in Portadown.

The farming family has vast experience of producing the highest quality milk, which means Ballylisk has total control over its entire operation – from ‘farm to table’.

Triple Rose is described by Dean as a “rich, decadent cheese made from pasteurised cow’s milk with added cream”.

The diversification into cheese production in 2017 followed an extensive period of market research to identify new business opportunities in premium dairy products.

Ballylisk is the only artisan cheesemaker in Northern Ireland with its own milk pool. Triple Rose cheese is now stocked in delis and farm shops across Northern Ireland and is on the tables at many top restaurants. Business has also been won from a specialist cheese retailer in Borough Market.